California
California suicide prevention plans and initiatives
The California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (IVPB) was awarded a Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program cooperative agreement in September 2020 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) in order to implement and evaluate a comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention, with attention to vulnerable populations.
In 2018, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC), created in 2004 by the Mental Health Services Act, was directed by the legislature to update and improve upon the state’s 2008 suicide prevention plan. A Suicide Prevention Subcommittee was formed to lead the initiative, and in 2019 the Commission adopted Striving for Zero: California’s Strategic Plan for Suicide Prevention 2020-2025. In 2020 the legislature authorized the State Department of Public Health to establish the Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) to coordinate suicide prevention efforts statewide, requiring the Office to consult with the MHSOAC to implement efforts consistent with Striving for Zero; see OSP’s Year 2 Highlights brief.